BY 2020, residents settled in this small seaside town could be living in a newly designated conservation area.

It is an aspirational goal currently being fought by Frinton ward councillor Nick Turner to be actualised in a bid to have the town’s beauty officially acknowledged.

Within Tendring there are 20 conservation areas which are defined as ‘areas of special architectural or historic interest’ that are ‘desirable to preserve or enhance’.

In each of the areas Tendring Council has adopted character appraisal documents, which outline the boundaries of conservation areas, and are used as material planning considerations when deciding on development proposals.

For Frinton, the main areas are the Greensward and Esplanade, The Avenues, the south side of Connaught Avenue, Old Road, outer avenues and the train station, as well as Frinton Park estate.

In Walton it runs north of High Street, taking in older properties in Saville Street and North Street as far as Stratford Place, Alfred Terrace, and the small garden on the junction with Kirby Road.

Clacton and Frinton Gazette:

Crescent Garden - one of Frinton's treasured sites

According to Mr Turner, these conservation areas were first designated in 1982, and later extended in 1989 and 1992 – but he, along with Frinton Residents’ Association, wants all of Frinton ward to benefit from safeguards.

He said: “Frinton is a place you come to, not go through, so therefore people have made a choice to come here for what we’re offering as a town, and that should be conserved.

“It’s quite a new town in comparison to Kirby and Thorpe-le-Soken, which probably go back centuries, but when developments start getting too urban, it doesn’t work.

“We’re not against having development - I applaud it - but I want high standards. And when you’re spending vast amounts of money buying a property in Frinton, why wouldn’t you want it conserved?”

At Frinton and Walton Town Council’s most recent meeting, councillors were criticised for not doing more about preserving the town’s heritage.

Resident Dorothy Stone spoke out against the drastic felling of trees along residential roads, and an alleged lack of regard for street furniture and shop frontages on Connaught Avenue.

Vanda Watling, for Frinton ward, shot back, challenging the resident to replant some of the trees herself before accusing the public of “overestimating” the powers of the town council.

She said: “Everything we do - if we want to lobby Essex Council on roads, potholes, trees, and on planning matters it would be Tendring Council - we do it from this position, but it doesn’t say it gets done.

“It’s everyone’s responsibility, I believe, if there’s something you’re really annoyed about, to do it as well.

“I feel dreadful about the trees in Connaught Avenue.

"In fact, that’s why I joined the town council in the first place, but I’m grown up enough to realise there’s not much I can do about it unless I become a county councillor - it’s too late unfortunately.

“But I honestly understand we should enhance it.”